Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksConwy Valley and the North Coast

Conwy Valley and the North Coast

Llyn Geirionydd

Lake with a monument to a sixth-century poet on the hill above it, old lead mine workings around the shore, and water clear enough to swim in.

Distance
2.8 mi / 4.5 km
Time
1 hr 35
Ascent
140 m
Difficulty
Moderate
Shape
Circular

Where it is

The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.

The route

A path circles the lake with a short climb to the Taliesin monument above the northern end. Rocky in places.

Worth knowing

  • The monument commemorates Taliesin, the earliest named Welsh poet, who tradition places here.
  • The mine spoil around the lake is metal-rich and supports unusual plants. Keep dogs from drinking at the workings.
  • One of the few lakes in Eryri where powered boats are allowed, so it can be noisy in summer.

What you’ll see

The lake, the Taliesin monument, and lead mine spoil heaps along the shore.

Background

Lead and zinc were mined in this valley from the eighteenth century, and the spoil still shapes what grows here.